


From the Depths of the Dark

by starsandcream



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright Spoilers, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Spoilers, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation Spoilers, Gen, M/M, Parallel Universes, Relationship Study
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-02-04 15:57:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12774438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsandcream/pseuds/starsandcream
Summary: He deserved better than wearing the crown that he never knew he would have. He deserved better than having the darkness plague him whole. Two broken people find each other in an unlikely world, and try to mend what they have lost.In which King Leo meets the Skadi-wielding Takumi in the Kingdom of Askr.





	1. Prologue: Summoning Leo

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.

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**NOTICE:**

【Special Heroes: From the Alternative】

Active XX/XX/XX at 4:00PM to XX/XX/XX at 3:59PM

-

“Somehow, fate has set me for this path.

I have never really thought that I would end up this way.

But you have chosen me to be by your side,

So with everything I have, I will fight!”

-

Unlikely heroes from another time have come together!

These Special Heroes are part of a 5★ Focus. In new summoning events, the first time you summon, you won’t have to use an Orb!

The Paralogue From the Alternative feature these Special Heroes. There are related special quests available for the active period listed above too.

What’s more, to celebrate these new Heroes, you can receive up to 10 Orbs from XX/XX/XX at 4:00PM to XX/XX/XX at 3:59PM through Log-In Bonuses!

-

_ >More _

.

.

Here are the Special Heroes!

-

Leo: Sorcerous King

The talented Nohrian King who wields the divine tome Brynhildr. Thinks of his family often.

Skills learnable at 5★:

XXX

XXX

XXX

XXX

“I am Leo, wielder of the divine tome, Brynhildr, and King of Nohr. You have called me to fight with you, and you have my interest.”

-

Takumi: Darkened Prince

Prince of Hoshido who now wields the bow, Skadi. Much louder and resentful.

Skills learnable at 5★:

XXX

XXX

XXX

XXX

“Takumi. Prince of Hoshido. ...Hope I can be of use.”

-

Hinoka: Feisty Queen

Hoshidan queen who prefers battles over court life. She has matured more since becoming the Queen.

Skills learnable at 5★:

XXX

XXX

XXX

XXX

“I am Hinoka, the Queen of Hoshido. I miss fighting in the battlefield, so I hope you use me well!”

-

Elise: Shining Bloom

Princess of Nohr who adores her siblings. She just wants her family together.

Skills learnable at 5★:

XXX

XXX

XXX

XXX

“Hello! I’m Elise from Nohr, and I’m ready to help! Is my family here?”

.

.

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**_Summon?_ **

_ > [Yes] _

_[No]_

.

.

.

Leo opens his eyes and he finds himself in an unfamiliar realm.

He first notices the big, blue sky above him and the cool wind breezing by his face. The floor below is made of stone, and he turns around to see a tree-shaped statue behind him with a hole at the center. He touches his shoulders, and he feels the heavy weight of his cape. A crown perches on top of his head. It feels heavy too.

He looks in front of him and a hooded figure stands before him. They wear a robe of white and gold, and they hold something in their hand, though Leo can’t pinpoint what kind of item it is. A divine weapon, perhaps?

That’s when he remembers: a voice had called for help, called for Leo to help them in their fight. A war in another world has taken place, and the voice calls for the aid of heroes from different worlds to come along to the journey. Curious, he answered their summons, and now, here he stands, with his tome, cape, and the heavy crown with him.

“I am Leo, wielder of the divine tome, Brynhildr, and King of Nohr.” He introduces himself and the figure flinches a little, their mouth left agape open as Leo continues, “You have called me to fight with you, and you have my interest.”

Almost immediately, he watches as the figure jumps up in joy, shocking Leo from where he stands. They run up to Leo immediately and they take his hand, shaking it furiously with theirs. Leo notes how their hand feels warm, and it’s been quite a while since he held a hand so warm, “I’m so glad to have you, Leo! Let’s work hard together in this war!”

Leo doesn’t know what to say at first. He bites his lip softly and feels his free hand shaking. But their hand is warm and their smile is welcoming, so Leo smiles for the first time in a while and nods to their words.

.

Leo learns of many new things of this world. He was summoned to the Order of Heroes from the Kingdom of Askr to aid in the war against the Emblian Empire. He meets with the royal siblings of the kingdom, Prince Alfonse and Princess Shareena, and they’re friendly and sweet. Along with the royal siblings, he meets Anna, a peppy, red-haired girl who looks familiar to King Leo’s eyes. And there is Kiran, the one who had summoned for him, who is all smiles and laughter as they guide Leo around the castle.

Kiran leads him to the Order of Heroes meeting room to let King Leo be acquainted with the other members. Kiran opens the double doors—albeit with slight difficulty, and Leo is met with a grand, marble white hall, with columns that stand high at the sides. Blue and gold drapes are raised high, with the Askrian crest in gold. From where he stands on the floor up until the end of the hall, a carpet in blue and gold as well lines up. Along with Kiran, he takes careful steps walking to the end of the hall, curious eyes looking at him. The two reach the end of the hallway and come face to face with the current leader of the group of Heroes summoned by Kiran.

“This is Frederick! He’s my dearest and most trusted unit in the Order of Heroes.” Kiran introduces him to Leo with a wide grin. The man named Frederick who wears...an open, blue shirt and shorts. In his hand, he holds a net full of nothing but...shells? Leo tilts his head as he observes him from head to toe. A man in an attire meant for the hot beaches is Kiran’s most trusted unit, how interesting indeed. Frederick gives off a very refined and dignified vibe though. With a smile, he introduces himself to him and Leo makes his very first Hero acquaintance.

After engaging in small talk with Frederick, Kiran leaves him to meet the other Heroes afterwards. He goes down the few stairs steps, and all of a sudden, is swarmed around by curious eyes. Names fly around him and they ask him too many things, but then something—no, someone...catches his attention. It was a familiar face, an almost _too familiar face_. It’s been too long since he has seen that face. He feels his stomach flutters and he feels the butterflies, his body tenses as they stare at each other’s eyes, and the person smiles ever so sweetly as always.

“...C-Camilla?!” He finally speaks, in a tone much louder than usual.

“Leo!” She exclaims happily and she runs to Leo, wrapping her arms around him tightly to a warm embrace. Leo returns the gesture, and he feels a small tug in his heartstrings. Suddenly, he forgets how heavy his crown and cape is and only wants focus being with his beloved older sister again. His hug with Camilla tightens and Leo feels his eyes slowly grow watery.

He misses Camilla. Her loving affection, her smile, and the warm embraces she gives. He doesn’t say it because he is never one to be openly affectionate.

Leo feels the warmth of his elder sister's embrace and he thinks of the many things he misses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to clarify that skadi!takumi isn't exactly like how he really is in canon, but rather his inferiority complex and fears are more amplified to the point he can no longer wield the fujin yumi. he doesn't appear here yet but, i just need to point this out b4 some people start asking questions.
> 
> also, other characters that will appear here are based from my own feh roster, with a bit of tweaks...you'll understand what i mean hahah
> 
> originally a one-shot that would reach 10k+ words, i realized that it would be hard to let this au idea remain as a one-shot because it would take more than one whole chunk of a fic to explore the two. 
> 
> i never really found anyone talk about the what-ifs of a post-birthright!leo and skadi!takumi's relationship, so i decided to go for it. GOD BLESS FEH FOR EXISTING tbh i wish a limited banner for king leo and skadi takumi would happen....MMMMMM YES.
> 
> special thanks to my friendo @reiyeah on twitter for giving me tips on how i should go with this au. chapters will be posted weekly (hopefully), as i already have at least...3 more chapters ready but need fixing. 
> 
> thank you for reading and see you all in the next chapter!


	2. White and Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Leo's day in the Kingdom of Askr, and he learns something quite...interesting from Camilla.

.

Leo spends the next few days training along with the new recruits. It starts with Kiran introduces to them the training tower, where portals transport the team to different stratums and fight against foes. _The higher the stratum, the more difficult the battles_ , Leo remembers Kiran’s words.

Familiar sounds of metal clashing against metal and the wisps of the wind forming something other-worldly as the incantations are spoken ring in his ears as they fight against their foes. Leo remembers his home, how it was _once_ a conquest-driven nation because of his father. His father, once loving and kind, had fallen down in madness for conquest and glory. He thinks of the days where he is forced to train for the war, his body already filled with scars from the previous sessions. But he follows, and more scars form when training ends.

It made him realize how he was never fond of the sword, and magic became his best friend.

Leo realizes as his thoughts go away that the enemy is coming to him from behind. With Brynhildr open and not looking back, he chants the incantation and the only thing he hears are is the earth moving as the branches rise from the soil and a scream that is instantly cut off with a crack. Leo turns his stead around to face the enemy but he sees that they dissipate into nothingness, only the branches are left and it too, slowly returns to the soil.

After that, Leo and his team participate in more training sessions. They teleport back and forth from the main training tower to the stratums. The battles start to become easy and repetitive for Leo. But right when it was about to even become boring, Kiran comes up to them and praises them for their efforts, announcing that training is done for the day. Leo looks out the window as he makes his way for the mess hall, and sees that dusk has come.

.

When the moon rises and night time is upon them, he spends the evening hours conversing with Camilla. They first talk of how she had come to the world, with Camilla highlighting how Kiran was crying out a waterfall of tears as she answers their summons. Instantly, Kiran takes Camilla to the training grounds, and they raise and tend to her to become one of their most powerful units.

“Kiran has really taken a liking to me.” Camilla speaks, sipping on her tea as both her and Leo sit out on the free chairs on one of the castle balconies. A pot filled with earl grey tea that Kiran proclaimed “I brought it here from my world!” and two cups for the two heroes are on the table.

“I can see that.” Leo responds, blowing on the hot tea before taking a short sip. He sets down his cup and looks up at the sky. It was nighttime right now. Only a few clouds can be seen, so they get a great view of the stars twinkling in the night sky. There was no view like this back in Nohr, where the clouds always cover the stars and you can only see fog and sometimes, the dim lights of Windmire.

“Oh right, my dear Leo,” Camilla starts and sets her tea aside. She raises her arms, elbows on the table, and lets her chin rests on her hands, “How is your life back home? I know you’re...pretty special.” She sounds hesitant with her words and Leo flinches, “You...wear father’s crown and cape.”

Leo’s hand immediately clench at the mention of the crown. Thank the Dusk Dragon that his hands remain on his lap, unseen from Camilla’s vision. He knew that eventually, they would talk about this. How the crown on his head is given to him and is _always_ heavy, how with this crown, he remembers the bloodshed that comes with it, how everything he thought wouldn’t happen, does. He thinks of Xander and Elise, and Leo gulps and lets his hands touches his arms, squeezing it gently in hopes that he would force himself to say those words.

“It’s alright,” _Lies._ “It’s a bit hard to explain. But, well, I...became King of Nohr.”

An uncomfortable silence follows for a minute before Camilla speaks again, “Ah, I see. But what of Xander? Elise? And the lovely yours truly?” She asks, but Leo realizes how her speech is much more slow-paced than usual. He wonders if she can detect his discomfort, but he keeps a straight face when he replies to her inquiry.

“You’re doing fine, you refused the crown. But after a few months of my reign, you disappeared. You only left a letter that you have set off to a journey of self reflection. I haven’t seen you since then, but...we send each other letters.” It’s the truth, and the Camilla that Leo knows well appears in his mind. While she still retains her caring and doting nature, he knows that the Camilla he remembers frowns more than she should, “Xander and Elise, they’re…” He pauses, “...Dead.”

Leo is shocked on how he could be so calm when he says such things, but he is so used to saying it. He remembers how he informed the news to all the castle staff, the nobles, the villagers, and to the whole nation of Nohr and everywhere else. Leo watches Camilla’s expression turns melancholic, her eyes lower to look at the cup that she set aside and lowering her hands, which now rest on the table.

“O-Oh.” She speaks softly, “I’m sorry, Leo, I…”

“Please don’t apologize.” Leo insists, raising a hand to stop her from continuing, “You had nothing to do with this. I just wish... _things happened differently._ ”

Almost instantly, Leo’s mind starts to play the what-if scenarios play in his head. He thinks of Corrin, his sister and the aid to Hoshido’s victory in the war, and how maybe...somehow...she would have joined by Nohr’s side instead. How his story would have ended with his siblings together, _Xander_ , Camilla, _Elise, Corrin_ . All of them are gathered together in _Xander’s_ throne room and they’re all beaming with hopeful smiles.

But the tale plays out nothing like how he wishes. Instead of hopeful smiles, there’s despairing frowns, and he only sees Corrin’s back facing him as she walks away to her _real_ family in Hoshido. The cries of Nohrian soldiers scream out as they shed blood for their king. And _Xander...Elise..._ he thinks of them, on the floor, _lifeless_ , and _their blood_ on the castle floors. He remembers Camilla’s cries as she hears the news of the death of her two dearest siblings, and all Leo remembers after that is being gifted with the _crown of Nohr_.

“It’s okay, Leo...I’m here for you.” He hears Camilla’s voice and the next thing he knows, he feels the familiar warmth of Camilla’s embrace around him. Leo realizes that his cheeks flush slightly as she hugs him and his eyes feel almost watery. _Was I really about to cry again?_ , Leo ponders. And he remembers how he hasn’t received hugs from her or even _anyone_ for a long time. Leo never truly was one to partake in any social gatherings or gain interest to be intimate with anyone... _almost_. But perhaps, something like a hug...was something he needed every once in a while now.

“Camilla…” He returns the embrace and Camilla tightens her hug more, with Leo nearly losing breath. But Camilla quickly lets him go after, the woman looking at him with a concerned smile.

It was all quiet again now, the only sounds made is the wind breezing by in the chilly night and the sound of the crickets. Leo takes a sip of his tea and looks out again from where he sat.

“The night here really is beautiful,” Camilla remarks, “There is nothing like this back home, right, Leo?” Leo only nods in response.

After a while, they finish their tea, informing a maid that they were done so she would clean up, and the two make way back to their quarters for the night. They walk down a flight of stairs and reach the hallway where all the resting quarters reside. To their left, is the resting quarters for the men while to the right is for the women.

“Oh, Camilla, I must ask you something.” Leo suddenly speaks up, remembering something that has been bugging him for a while now, “What...is it like back home for you?”

Leo remembers what Kiran had told him, how all the heroes come from different worlds. But some heroes belong in the same world, and _sometimes_ , two heroes from the same world have a different story to tell. He hasn’t asked anyone he knew from their world about their story, but he surely knows, Camilla’s is different from his own, and he wants to know what it’s like.

Camilla’s eyes widen upon his inquiry, “Well, to put it simply…” She smiles and pats him on the head, “We _all_ save the world.”

“...Save...the world?”

“Yes, it’s...a perfect world. Hoshido and Nohr, coming _together_ and saving the world!” Camilla speaks and Leo is in disbelief with her words. But Camilla catches his expression quickly and hugs him, much to Leo’s surprise, “I know what you’re thinking, little brother, but...I cannot say more. I suggest you do research on it, and maybe piece the puzzle on why it happened. Despite the ending of my story, there are some here that can’t speak of it, hence why I must be silent of it.”

She quickly lets go of Leo from her embrace and waves to him, “I’ll be off now, going to be busy tomorrow and all. Have a good night, little brother~”

Leo watches Camilla disappear into the hallway, and he is left alone with the torches dimly lighting the hallways. He thinks back on her words and _a perfect world_ repeats again and again on his head.

Somehow, the question of why the perfect world exists doesn’t occur on his head first, but rather, _why_ the perfect world didn’t play out _for his world_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WWEEEEE i'm back with the 2nd chapter, folks! hello hello!! i'm overwhelmed by everyone who has taken an interest in this fic, thank you so much!!!! ;____;
> 
> anyways, YEA, this chapter is just a BIT of a...breather...chapter, before the next one, because we'll be seeing someone very soon ;) tune in next week (probably) for more lolol. I WISH i can make these chapters longer, so I promise you that as we get further and further in this fic. i'm planning on finishing this by...15 chapters at most? not sure yet. i rushed writing this so i'll edit some stuff here when i get home since i'm going out in a bit as i write this.
> 
> that's all for this note, i guess? OH WAIT, i got takumi in my feh in the last few hours of the takumi-hinoka banner ;______; i got my son thank u feh ily huhu djshdkjfsjdfjdks
> 
> thanks for reading and see you all in the next chapter!


	3. The Dark Rises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Leo starts to research on what Camilla told him, he arrives.

.

Ever since that night, Leo hasn’t seen Camilla as often as he wished. While they occasionally exchange greetings in the mess hall or in the corridors, he never had the chance to approach her and vice versa. According to the other Heroes, he was told that she was busy with Kiran and a select few others for difficult missions, meaning she spent most of her time with them.

 _“It’s Tempest Trials season!”_ , a young girl with green hair—Eirika, he remembers her name—tells him as she readies her sword for training with other Heroes. He is a bit disappointed that he hasn’t seen Camilla in long while, but since the lack of presence settles in, the thoughts of that night continuously play in his head. Leo isn’t sure what to say of the situation, especially to Camilla as of now.

 _A perfect world, huh_ , Leo ponders quietly in his thoughts.

Before Leo realizes it, today’s training session for him has finished and his teammates disperse to do their own tasks. With nothing else to do for the rest of the day, Leo decides to head for the library to research more on the Kingdom of Askr.

Leo opens the grand doors of the castle library and his breath is taken away. Shelves with nothing but books and ancient texts that reach up so high like the skies, the halls all silent and peaceful with the only sounds heard are hushed tones and humming, and the place is so vast and obviously much, much bigger than the Order of Heroes meeting room. His mind wonders on how much literary pieces he has never heard of before and his heart thumps at the thought of learning new things and his knowledge of the world increasing ten fold.

He walks to the first shelf he sees and stumbles upon a white-haired female with twin tails on her hair.

“Oh, I didn’t know anyone else was here.” Leo speaks up, a bit taken aback by her presence. The white-haired girl only smiles at him.

“Ah, I don’t mind!” She speaks with a bubbly tone in her voice, “You must be one of the new heroes, right? I’m Robin, nice to meet you!”

She raises her hand for Leo to shake and he does.

“I’m Leo, pleased to make your acquaintance.” And they let go of their hands from each other.

“So...this is your first time here or…?” Robin inquires.

“Oh, yes, it is.” Leo responds to her inquiry.

“Ohh, I see.” Robin speaks and an ecstatic grin forms on her lips, “If you want, I would love to show you around and if there’s anything you want to find, you can always ask me.”

Leo asks where he can find anything involving the culture and history of the Kingdom of Askr. Robin sets down the book she was holding on the shelf, though he notices how she doesn’t sink the book all the way back to blend in with the other books, and motions for Leo to follow her. They walk deeper into the library, speaking in hushed tones and Robin briefing him on the different sections of the library.

“—And the next section of books after the world that I’m from, the Kingdom of Ylisse, we have various books on the Kingdom of Hoshido and Nohr.”

He stops in his tracks upon hearing the name of his kingdom. Robin notices and she turns around, her arms crossed and looking at Leo with concern.

“...That’s where you’re from, isn’t it?” Robin asks.

Leo nods and suddenly, he remembers what Camilla had told him days before, about the world she was in. The perfect world, and he wonders if he can find anything about it there.

“I change my mind.” Leo speaks up, “I would like to check out this section. Someone I met here who also happens to belong to the same time as me has told me something interesting related to it.”

“I see.” Robin smiles and pats his back and Leo is reminded of the heavy cape on his shoulders, “If you’re still interested on learning about the Kingdom of Askr, just go further from here, past the Continent of Valentia section, and it’s right there.”

“Thank you.” Leo tells her.

“No problem! I guess I’ll take my leave now. Need to find something.” Robin walks back to the path from where they came from and waves at him, “See you later!”

Robin’s presence disappears and Leo slowly walks to the section about the Kingdom of Hoshido and Nohr. Camilla’s words replay in his mind as his eyes scan the shelves, seeing familiar names of books he has read back home in his kingdom and unfamiliar books that seem to refer to Hoshido. It was amazing how much texts from both kingdoms can be found here. Leo ultimately decides to pick an unfamiliar book that looks old and worn. On the cover is the title, a bit faded away already, “The Kingdom of Hoshido and it’s History.” _A simple but straightforward title_ , he thinks. He finds it amusing how he had picked such a book, but he doesn’t have a lot of knowledge on the Kingdom of Hoshido, since he has grown busy over time rebuilding his own kingdom, so he decides to start from with this book to learn about Hoshido.

Leo picks out the book from the shelf and he settles down on the blue carpeted floor from the same spot he has taken the book. He sets Brynhildr aside next to him. Leo looks at the cover and he sees the title once more, along with a picture of Castle Shirasagi and a white dragon sleeping below it on the front cover. With delicate fingers, he opens the book. The crisp sound of the pages turned with his hand is only heard for him. As expected, the text looks slightly faded but still readable and the paper is turning yellow.

His curiosity is piqued and in that corner in the library, he begins reading about the history of the Kingdom of Hoshido.

.

Time temporarily doesn’t exist for Leo when he indulges himself in books. He doesn’t realize that the dusk has come and past even with the tall, open window on his right from where he sits. Someone calls that dinner is prepared but he doesn’t flinch from where he sits. But as he starts to read more about Hoshido under King Sumeragi’s reign, a voice calls from the entrance of the library and the words they say makes him turn his head.

“Guys! Guys! Kiran just summoned another hero from the banner King Leo was in!”

The hushed voices are now loud in the library and he hears the footsteps rush out of the vicinity. Leo stops reading and tucks the book safely into the shelf, though he doesn’t put it in all the way like how he remembers Robin did it earlier. He doesn’t want to carry two books with him, and he makes a mental note to pick up the book later.

Curious like everyone else, Leo steps out of the library and heads for the Order of Heroes meeting room. The door is already open when he arrives, and he hears voices everywhere. He spots Camilla near the center of the commotion, but her eyes are wide and she trembles.

Leo doesn’t realize everyone is trembling.

He somehow manages to squeeze his way to the center of the all the bustle. He recognizes Kiran in the crowd, scratching the back of their head and they say words like “Please don’t be intimidated by him!” and “He’s not going to hurt anyone!” But Leo doesn’t register Kiran’s words as he sees the figure behind him.

It’s the Second Crown Prince of Hoshido, Takumi.

And he’s glaring at Leo.

Leo can only stare back.

Everything about him is different, Leo realizes. When he thinks of Takumi based on what he knows from him, he is quite stubborn and moody, but he is quite friendly and determined in helping out his home country once you get to know him. They never got to interact as often because of their duties...or truthfully, the wound in his heart still aches when he sees the faces of the Hoshido siblings.

However, this Takumi is different.

While he shares the same face, attire, _everything_ , he first notices how omnious he looks. The dark circles under his eyes and how a frown is his default face. What haunts Leo the most about the Takumi before him, is his eyes. Takumi’s eyes are the color of red _red_ ** _red_** , _like_ ** _blood_** , and it makes Leo shiver. It’s haunting, how in those eyes of his, he sees flames filled with nothing but rage and vengeance dancing in delight. He sees a massacre of innocent souls, the end of love and rationality, and most daunting of all, it brings fruition to a scene he never wants to think of. Xander. Elise. _Xander. Elise._ ** _Elise. Xander._** **_A sword._** _Their_ ** _hearts,_** **_pierced._** **_Their limp bodies on the floor_**. _They’re_ **_DEAD._** He sees all this in Takumi’s eyes and Leo can’t help but let his hand tightly grip onto Brynhildr. Neither shift away their gaze from each other.

Slowly, Takumi walks to Leo’s direction. The king stays in place and as much as he wants to move, his body refuses to even shift away from place. Takumi finally reaches Leo’s side, and he stares at Leo like his arrow piercing at his heart. Words are not exchanged between the two, but Leo can tell what kind of message Takumi gives him with nothing but his glare.

 _Stay away from me,_ **_Nohrian scum_ ** _._

It’s been so long since those words have spoken in his head, with Takumi’s voice no less.

Takumi is the first to break the eye contact and he walks out of the hall, with Kiran following shortly behind him. Leo doesn’t move an inch from his place as the commotion settles down. The voices are still loud though, hearing words on how the new guy is scary and such. Camilla is gone as well. Soon, it’s just Leo and a few other Heroes in the meeting room.

Standing there, the only feeling he can think of left at that moment in his gut is dread.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhHHHI i'm sorry it took...longer than a week to update. rip. uni tests and midterms kept me busy and i'm currently out of town for the holidays;;;; i brought my laptop with me, hence why i am able to update it now. i could have posted this chapter weeks before but i needed to edit some of the stuff i wasn't satisfied with in this chapter.
> 
> anyways, this chapter is pretty short? but we're finally getting somewhere...heheheheh takumiiii! :DD i'll try to make the next chapter longer, and update it around...first or second week of january? sorry, i'm quite busy for the next few days so... o|-<
> 
> that's all i guess. happy holidays and happy new year to you all! see you in the next update!! :))


	4. Into The Shadows

.

Ever since Kiran had summoned Takumi, Leo had kept a watchful eye of the archer from the distance. Between training sessions with the other Heroes and reading more books abouthist, he observes Takumi from afar, while praying that he wouldn’t be found out that he was watching him. Leo is never really afraid of anything or  _ anyone  _ (well, except heights maybe. Camilla’s flying lessons still haunt him.), but something about Takumi irked him.

Leo’s first observation: Takumi never interacts with anyone. Often, Leo would find the Hoshidan prince isolated from everyone else. From the morning meetings that Kiran would hold everyday about the Order of Heroes’ agenda of the day where Takumi stays in the farthest corner and (probably?) listened, to the lively dinners where Takumi had either sat at the table farthest from everyone or he never showed up at all. Anyone who would try to interact with him are only met with either no response or a suffocating glare.

His second observation were Takumi’s...odd actions. Takumi moves so slowly, with his back hunched a bit and the dark circles under his eyes always so noticeable. When Kiran speaks with him, Takumi only speaks in a very, very soft voice that almost no one hears him. Only Kiran does and they understand. There are also so many times, with the first time Leo caught by accident, wherein Takumi secludes himself in the darkest corners of the castle. He wraps his arms around himself, like he was clinging to his dear life and start mumbling to himself. Leo can recall that he speaks Hoshidan when mumbling, but he doesn’t remember all the words...except one.

_ Help. _

His somber cries that wail in the halls, which usually frightened the other Heroes. But not for Leo, not anymore anyways, because watching Takumi like this worries him. He can’t help but say to himself how  _ he is like that too _ . The thoughts of Xander, Elise, and the feeling of his heavy crown appear in his mind once again and he tries to shut them out. The minor difference is how Takumi is more prevalent of his emotions now.

His final observation is how Takumi’s mood shifts to a complete 180 on the battlefield. Leo is only teammates with Takumi thrice, but he can already tell what this Takumi is like once confronted in battle. He readily has his bow, called Skadi— _ what happened to the Fujin Yumi, Leo ponders _ —and once the enemies come out, Takumi starts to play.

Moving swiftly yet ungracefully, Takumi makes haste for the enemies. The string of his bow and arrow forms on his fingers—purple aura emitting from it—and he shoots them all down quickly. No one in the team even has the time to even come to his aid, and Takumi gains all the experience in the battle.

But that’s not all Leo sees in Takumi in the battlefield. No. When Takumi battles, he is hungry and bloodthirsty. His red  _ red _ eyes shine brightly and Leo swears he can see the sparks twinkling in those irises as Takumi makes the enemy bleed.

But despite all that, Takumi  _ never  _ smiles. Not even when he fights, not even when he kills, not even when the battle is over and there is only him and the rest of the team. Takumi shows how he is tired after battle, with his breathing short and sluggish and the sweat trickling down his forehead.

Isolation from peers, sluggish movements, the cries in Hoshidan, his bloodthirsty eyes, and never forming a smile, it made Leo realize. The Takumi here isn’t the Takumi he knew about in Nohr. This was a different Takumi, one who shows more resentment  _ to him _ with just one look with his intimidating, red eyes, one who has been through hell and back, one who needs...comfort?

As Leo watches Takumi return back to Kiran’s side, their shoulders brushing by each other, he feels a chill shiver down his spine.

.

A spell from the enemy’s tome bursts out from their hands and attacks Leo. His body takes the hit and he winces, nearly falling out of his stead. The enemy’s spell sears his body and his breathing turns ragged. But he still has enough energy in him left, so he quickly formulates a spell from Brynhildr. Vines and branches leech from the ground and target on the enemy. It soars the sharp edges for the enemy’s heart but just as Leo thinks he is able to kill them, the mage quickly shifts away at the last millisecond before the vines could pierce their heart. The vines move downward instead, hitting on the ground below. The enemy somehow manages to dodge the attack and Leo isn’t pleased.

Leo is about to cast another spell but his body aches and is unable to move.  _ Gods _ , he thinks as he watches the enemy opening his tome again,  _ I’m done for _ . The enemy mage murmurs another spell, a sinister grin forming on their face. Leo closes his eyes and braces himself for the kill, but he hears a shout from behind him.

**_“DIE!”_ **

His eyes open wide and he sees Takumi, running to the enemy with his bow at the ready. An aura of purple surrounds the archer as the string on his bow and arrow forms in his hands. His red eyes shimmer with the thirst to kill as he focuses on the enemy mage, his arrow at the ready to fire. So quickly, Takumi releases his grip of the arrow—the dark purple aura is on the arrow—and it launches straight the enemy’s heart. The arrow pierces through their body and a blood-curdling scream escapes the enemy’s lips. Blood spilling all over from their core and their body recoils to the ground with a loud thud. They fade away as the deed is done.  Leo watches it all in silence, frozen in place as he watches Takumi take the kill. 

Leo realizes that Takumi just... _ saved him _ ?

With the battle finally finished, a bright blue aura surrounds all of his comrades with a cool breeze blowing from below. The next thing Leo realizes, they have returned to the castle. They stand at the center of the Order of Heroes meeting room and as soon as the aura dissipitates, he sees Kiran rush to their side, clapping their hands, and shouting praises to them all. One of his teammates, Inigo— _ he looks like Laslow _ , Leo thinks,  _ but Inigo says he never has heard of the name Laslow before _ —comes walking to him and tells him that they did a good job on the field today. Leo nods and while Inigo starts to chatter away, the king can’t help but look behind him to see Takumi.

He is with their other teammate for the day, Mae, and Kiran, who all commend Takumi for the final blow to the enemy and saving Leo from being knocked out. Takumi only nods and looks away from the two, not wanting to give them any attention. Kiran and Mae continue to converse, though Leo can see how Kiran would constantly look back at Takumi with concern. Ever since Kiran had summoned Takumi, aside from their usual care and training sessions, they constantly watch the archer from the distance with a somber look on their face.

“—Anyways, I’ll be heading off now. I’ll see you in the mess hall for dinner, Leo.” Leo catches Inigo’s words and he only nods, telling him that he will see him there as well. He watches as Inigo leaves and soon after, Mae follows him out of the room. Leo realizes that the only people left in the room is him, Takumi, and Kiran. Still wary of the archer’s presence, his feet start to move and head for the exit. Unfortunately, he hears Kiran’s voice call for him from behind.

“Wait, Leo!” Leo flinches and stops in place. He turns around and sees Kiran walk up to him from behind. Their hand is holding on to Takumi’s, dragging the archer with them to Leo.

“...Yes?” Leo raises an eyebrow to Kiran, wondering why they called his attention.

Kiran scratches the back of their head and gives a Leo a sheepish grin, which makes him even more suspicious, “Um, well...you see, there is something I’ve been wanting to do.” Kiran tugs their hand that is holding Takumi and the gesture catches Takumi’s attention, “I’m going to partner you two together from now on.”

Oh.

_ Oh  _ **_no_ ** _. _

“...Sure.” His words betray what he wants. Leo wants to say he doesn’t wish to be partnered with Takumi. The thought of being side by side with the archer who would only look at him with a glare is haunting. Nothing but bad memories and the blood of his siblings form in his mind at Takumi’s presence. But he comes face to face with an enthusiastic Kiran, who’s hopeful smile pushes him a bit to try and give Takumi a chance.

“Great! I’m so glad you’re willing to do so, Leo.” Kiran grins and they take Leo’s hand. Kiran interlock the two hands together and while they are all smiles, Leo and Takumi don’t look at each other.

“You’ll get along so well, I’m sure of it!” Kiran’s optimistic words resound through the hall.

.

With every opportunity Kiran had, they partnered Leo and Takumi together. Yet even so, he feels so much discomfort around Takumi’s presence.

On the battlefield, he never really pays much attention to his presence. While they stay close to each other, back to back with Leo holding Brynhildr and on his stead, and Takumi clenching onto Skadi tightly in his hands, the thrill of combat distracts them from the other’s existence. 

Once they set foot out of the arena and return to the castle though, everything comes back tumbling down and they try to avoid each other’s presence. That’s when Kiran steps in and tries to make them interact. It starts with a slight push from the back of the other, to constant holding of the two boys on the shoulders and huddling them together. Takumi’s face turns sour and he looks away, pouting and mumbling something inaudible under his breath. Leo just stays silent as Kiran talks away, unaware of the uncomfortable aura that the two are having. But Kiran never gives up, as they continue constantly pushing Leo and Takumi to be together somewhere,  _ any _ where. 

Inevitably, Leo is the first to give up to his desire to be away and tries to interact with Takumi.

It starts with short greetings to the Hoshidan prince in passing. “Good morning” and “good afternoon” greetings are spoken, but never returned by the second Hoshidan prince. Takumi only answers Leo with glares and increasingly, growls. 

Leo wants to give up already after the ninth really, really  _ loud growl _ Takumi gives him, but Camilla, his currently only other close relative in the Order of Heroes, is supportive of his efforts. Like Kiran, she constantly encourages him to continue communicating ( _ pursuing, Camilla actually says, and Leo almost spits out his drink hearing that _ ) with Takumi. She has gone to the point where she starts shoving Leo to Takumi’s side everytime the three get grouped together in a team. 

Unfortunately, Camilla’s efforts to help Leo grow closer with Takumi only makes the Hoshidan grow angrier at the king. Leo apologizes relentlessly to him and Takumi just scoffs at him, before leaving the two siblings alone for the battle ahead of them.

They (Takumi) wins the battle and they return back to the kingdom, where the familiar sight of Kiran greets them with smiles and praises. Leo has grown to the routine in the Order of Heroes. Unfamiliar faces become familiar, and soon, are now his new acquaintances and companions in the Order. Fighting battles everyday for the same goal with people no matter who they are and having a supportive and kind tactician by their side...it feels nice. 

Somehow, these train of thoughts bring back to those words Camilla had spoken to him many nights before, how Hoshido and Nohr fought together for the same cause with Corrin by their side. 

He wonders what it felt like being in that scenario and somehow, it felt painful just even thinking about it. And Xander...and Elise...they’re—

“You.”

The familiar voice halts his thoughts and the atmosphere suddenly feels cold. Leo grips his tome tightly and turns around, facing to the source of the voice.

“...T-Takumi.”

The two boys only stare at each other in the silence, with the atmosphere growing cold as none make a move. The hallway is empty and quiet and the only light lit up on this cold night is the moonlight. Leo observes Takumi, noting how the moonlight shows his face quite decently. Eyebags are obviously seen under his eyes and his skin is pale like snow. Wisps of purple and black aura emit away from his body, dancing and dissipating away to the halls. The red eyes that Leo has grown accustomed to seeing glare at his own brown eyes.

Xander. Elise. The blood. Again  _ and again  _ **_and again_ ** it starts to play in his head and Leo can’t help but sweat and his hands shiver and the heavy crown and feeling of his family all gone just starts to flood—

“...Why…”

“Huh?”

“Why...why do you...keep…” Takumi grips his bow tightly in his hand, his glare never leaving Leo, “...coming...to me…?!”

“I-I…” Leo’s frozen in place and lost for words. But with little strength he can muster, the king gulps and speaks, “Well, Kiran wants us to be...acquainted. Be more comfortable with each other.”

Takumi doesn’t respond immediately. His grip on Skadi tightening more and he starts to growl in pain. He lifts his hand to his hand and clutches on his hair tightly.

“T-Takumi, are you o—”

“ **_STOP!_ ** ” Takumi screams and it cuts Leo to shut up, “Don’t...don’t get...close...please.”

Takumi turns away from Leo and starts to walk small steps back to who knows where. Leo can only watch him move away from him more and more. His feet locked to the floor of the hallway drowning in the moonlight. Takumi’s figure grows smaller and smaller by his side until there’s nothing left from the trail, not even the purple and black wisps that he emits.

The king is left all alone (as always) in the empty hallway. His legs move now, but only to kneel down on the ground. He drops Brynhildr to the carpeted floor and his crown isn’t placed on his head straight as it always was. Somehow, he realizes, that just seeing Takumi’s eyes makes the dreadful feeling in his gut grows worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SKADI TAKUMI IN FEH HYPE SKADI TAKUMI IN FEH HYPE SKADI TAKUMI IN FEH HYPE SKADI TAKUMI IN FEH HYPE SKADI TAKUMI IN FEH HYPE—
> 
> this fic was to literally please my wish of skadi takumi in feh (also my birthright leo/conquest takumi needs) and i can't believe that it's come true,,,,,SO I UPDATED THIS CHAPTER AS A CELEBRATION OF SORTS. IM SORRY THIS UPDATE WAS LATE TOO bc uni works and finals haha;;; oh i love Pain™
> 
> anyways, thank you for reading so far!! i'll see you all in my next updates, which will be soon hopefully o|-<

**Author's Note:**

> with the release of information that Skadi Takumi is being released in FEH, I just want everyone to be informed that i wrote this way before the news happened. 
> 
> my depiction of skadi takumi will be my own but adopt some elements too from the official skadi takumi in feh as this fic goes along. thanks!! :D


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